/// A guide from the factory floor
How to start a clothing brand in Egypt.
You don't need a collection, a store or a big budget to start a local brand. You need one good product, made properly. This is the order we'd do it in, written by Factory 21, a clothing factory in Cairo.
/01
Make the first piece.
/01
Start with one product
One piece done properly beats a collection. Pick the product you want to be known for, then one or two colours. Every extra style means another pattern, another sample and another minimum to meet./02
Pick the fit first
Fit is what brings people back. Decide who you're dressing and how the piece should sit: oversized, boxy or regular. You can use a factory's standard pattern or build your own. Ours carry no extra fee./03
Choose fabric for the season
Milton is the winter backbone for hoodies and sweatpants. Boulevard is our most-cut knit for tees. Linen is for summer shirts and shorts. Feel a swatch before you decide, because a photo of fabric tells you nothing. Start with the fabric book./04
Choose the print for your quantity
Print decides your minimum. At Factory 21, embroidery and silk screen need 100 pieces per print. DTF, puff print, vinyl and rubber stay at 30 pieces per colour, so they suit a small first run./05
Write a tech pack
A tech pack tells the factory exactly what to make: measurements, fabric, colours, print placement, labels and packaging. It's what stops a misunderstanding from becoming a whole run of wrong pieces. Our order form builds it as you fill it in./06
Make a sample
Never go to production from a screen. A sample takes around 14 working days. Wear it, wash it inside out in cold water, and check the seams and the print. Approve it only when it's right, because production is checked against that sample.
/02
Run production.
Plan your launch around the factory. Standard production takes around 21 working days from sample approval. Denim, acid wash and special effects take 4 to 8 weeks.
Keep your first run small enough to sell through, and leave room in your budget: quantities can move by up to 20% depending on fabric and yield, and the deposit comes first. Ours is 70% up front, with 30% before delivery.
We don’t publish a price list, because the price depends on the piece, fabric, print and quantity. Sign up, build the piece and ask for a quote.
/03
Build the brand around it.
Your name, logo, labels and packaging are part of the product. Decide them before production so neck labels, hang tags and poly bags go on the first run. If you’d rather not do this alone, our design studio does branding, tech packs and content.
Register the business and protect the name early. Ask an accountant and a lawyer what applies to you.
/04
Sell it.
Egypt’s local brands mostly sell on Instagram and TikTok, through a Shopify store with cash on delivery. Shoot your photos before stock lands, keep money aside for ads instead of putting it all into stock, and use your first buyers’ feedback to decide the second run.
Ready for a factory? See clothing manufacturing at Factory 21 or the FAQ.